ASEF Podcast: Prof. Dr. Janez Žibert on the Future of Data-Driven Medicine [Episode #40]

In the 40th episode of the ASEF Podcast, we welcome Prof. Dr. Janez Žibert, an applied mathematician, researcher, and professor at the University of Ljubljana and the University of Primorska. His work focuses on data science in healthcare, with a special emphasis on artificial intelligence, predictive modeling, and medical statistics. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was one of the key scientists developing epidemic forecasting models used for decision-making in Slovenia and contributed to European forecasting efforts coordinated by the ECDC.

The conversation is hosted by ASEF Junior Fellow Luka Petravić, who is also pursuing a PhD under Dr. Žibert’s mentorship.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• How a background in speech processing led to breakthroughs in medical data science
• What it was like to develop epidemic models during the height of COVID-19
• Why forecasting in healthcare is both difficult and essential
  What PACS systems are and why Dr. Žibert is building his own
• The importance of public science communication and feedback via LinkedIn
  How predictive models are being integrated into daily clinical practice
  What nomograms are and why they still matter
• Whether AI will replace or empower healthcare professionals
• How collaboration between doctors and data scientists can be the key to better healthcare outcomes

The episode explores the idea that data is not just about statistics — it’s a tool to improve patient care.